


Paradise Regained

by ChrissyStriped



Series: Black Wings [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, Declarations Of Love, Fae & Fairies, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Love Triangles, M/M, Post-War, Rebirth, Recovered Memories, Visions in dreams, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:47:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27563278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrissyStriped/pseuds/ChrissyStriped
Summary: It's been centuries since Lucifer was imprisoned and put in a magical sleep when a fae steals a pendant, originaly owned by Lucifer, from Azrael's charge. Thinking that the fae believe to be able to free Lucifer with it, Raphael goes to the fae realm to get it back.
Relationships: David/Nerid, Lucifer/Raphael, Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Tino/David
Series: Black Wings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618258
Comments: 12
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Took me a bit longer to revise this part than I expected, but now I've built a buffer of translated chapters and am back at weekly chapters. Enjoy!

_He walked through a long, dark corridor, searching for something he knew not what. In all the years he’d dreamed this dream, he’d never found out. His outstretched arms slid over the rough stone of the wall. He didn’t know how long he’d walked, his steps echoing in the darkness, when with the suddenness of dream he stood in from of a door. The Door. Torches burned in brackets on the wall and lighted the heavy, iron-bound door. He knew that what he was searching lay behind the door. He put his hand on the handle..._

Tino woke abruptly when David’s alarm went off. He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. David was on early shift today, it was three in the morning. David, who never minded to get up at impossible times, laughed and burrowed through the folds of fabric between them to kiss his cheek.

“Sleep on, darling. We’ll see each other for dinner.”

“Mmh, see you later”, Tino mumbled sleepily.

David put the light out as he went downstairs and soon Tino could smell the fresh filter coffee he swore by – Tino had once suggested buying a fully automatic coffee machine, but David was very particular about it.

He snuggled deeper into his blanket but although his body screamed for more sleep, his mind was wide awake. This dream again... it wasn’t really a nightmare, he wasn’t afraid while dreaming it, but somehow he found it much more disturbing now than when he was a child.

It... didn’t feel like a dream. He knew how the corridor smelled – damp and mouldy –, how the stone of the wall felt – rough and cold – and he knew exactly how the door looked – dark, coarse-grained wood and black, ornate iron fittings – he’d drawn it again and again, it was so clear before his mind’s eye. What did it mean? Was this door real somewhere? Tino groaned and curled up. He just wanted to sleep on.

He didn’t know how long he’d napped off before he woke with a start. Tino lay completely motionless, his heart racing in his chest. He couldn’t move with fear. Something... He felt the air moving and knew the window was open. It had been closed. He was sure it had been closed!

Tino forced himself to open his eyes and sat up – and saw the... thing, that sat on the window sill, its wings spread, ready to take off. It held a faint resemblance to a monkey, a hairless monkey with large batwings – and it was holding his lucky charm! Tino was speechless and so angry that he forgot his fear. The thing was stealing from him!

He jumped out of the bed caught the things tail before it could jump out of the window. It gave an angry chitter and coiled around to bite his hand. Tino screamed when flaming pain shot up his arm, his hand became numb immediately. He felt dizzy and barely saw the thing fly away before darkness crashed down on him.

When he woke, his hand burned like fire and a stranger looked down at him with a worried frown. Tino jerked back startled and groaned as a wave of nausea tore through his body.

“What... who...”

“Calm down.” The stranger gently placed his hand on his forehead. His eyes... as if he’d seen them before. “You feel hot.” He bit his lip nervously. “Stay in bed. I’ll bring help.”

Tino thought he heard him mumble ‘I haven’t felt it. Why haven’t I felt it?’ when he closed his burning eyes again. He must have dozed off for a moment, because, when he opened his eyes again, the stranger was gone. Had he even been real? Was he hallucinating? Tino lifted his aching hand. _This_ hadn’t been a dream at least. It had stopped bleeding, but the bite was black with crusted blood, the skin around it puffy and white.

It looked bad. He needed a doctor, an ambulance. Tino reached sluggishly for the mobile on his bed table and cursed softly when it slipped through his trembling fingers. He felt so sick, his head was swimming and his whole arm burned.

A hand was laid on his forehead and golden warmth filled him. His heartbeat came to rest, he wasn’t afraid anymore and all pain faded. Tino blinked slowly, the eyes looking down on him were green and gentle, Tino smiled at them. Then... he saw the wings. They weren’t really _there_ , more like a shadow – a double exposure. Delicate, white feathers, slightly blurred. In his addled state Tino didn’t think it strange at all. Wishing to touch them, he reached out with his hand and saw that the bite had become a thin, white scar.

“How is he?” Only now did he notice that the first stranger was back – and he too had wings.

“I healed him.” A wrinkle appeared between the green eyes. “I don’t have much experience what effect it has on humans. He seems a little... confused.”

“Are you angels?”, Tino mumbled and the two men looked startled.

“Can you see our wings?”, the first one asked and Tino nodded, the man – angel? – cursed. “Are we in trouble?”, he asked Greeneyes.

“Depends... what happened here, Azrael?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see the danger coming. I’d bet on a fae, but why...”

“My lucky charm”, Tino slurred. “The monkey stole it.”

The angels threw worried glances at him. “We should make him forget...”

“No!” Tino surged up and gripped Greeneyes’ shirt. “It’s important! The lucky charm, the door!” He didn’t know why he was suddenly so sure that the two were joined together.

“Are you _sure_ he isn’t poisoned anymore?”

Greeneyes nodded and said something he didn’t understand. Tino became very, very tired. He fought it for a moment, then he feel into a deep sleep.

“What was that?”, Azrael asked. “What door?”

“ _You_ are practically living here, not me.” Raphael looked worried at the sleeping human. “I really think that it would be better to make him forget this whole morning – we are breaking almost every rule in regard to humans right now – but if the fae want something from your charge... I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until he wakes up and can tell us what happened. It worries me that you didn’t see the fae coming.”

“Me, too.” Azrael sat on the bed and tugged a strand of hair behind Tino’s ear. “I’d never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him. What do they want with the amulet? It’s copper, not even valuable.”

Azrael shook his head and picked the mobile up from the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Report him sick so he doesn’t get into trouble.”

Raphael gave him an uncomprehending look, but Azrael didn’t feel like explaining the subtleties of human work life to him. He spoke with hoarse voice and the secretary didn’t seem to be suspicious when he impersonated Tino. He put the mobile back on the bed table.

“That’s that. How long do you think he’ll sleep?”

Raphael shrugged. “Hard to say. I gave him a nudge, but as I said, humans... I don’t know.”

“Why could he see our wings? Is that a side effect?”

“I don’t _know_ , Azrael!”, Raphael snapped, obviously concerned, he usually was never harsh.

Azrael moved back from the bed, not wanting to startle Tino again, if he woke and sat on the floor, his back in a corner, he didn’t intend to leave him unprotected again.

“I’m sorry”, Raphael said a moment later. “I didn’t intend to snap at you.”

“No harm done. You’re probably as concerned as I am”, Azrael answered.

“Tell me what you know about the amulet”, Raphael asked. “Maybe we’ll get an idea.”

“It belonged to Lucifer, he gave it to the girl he rescued from the burning town. That was, what he lost his feathers for, do you remember?”

Azrael was still mad about that, Raphael nodded.

“He became her guardian angel and that of her descendants – it’s a bit of a puzzle to me how the bond gets passed on, it has nothing to do with human succession rules. The amulet got lost a few times over the centuries and sometimes it was passed on to someone who wasn’t my charge, but I could always find it and bring it back. It seemed important to me that it stays in the family because Lucifer would have wanted that. But why he gave it to the girl in the first pace, I don’t know. And I can’t think of a reason why a fae would steal it. As I said, it’s only copper, not valuable. I know, that’s not much help...”

Raphael sighed. “It would have been too easy, I suppose. What are we going to do, if it really is important for whatever reason? It’s not like we could ask the fae nicely to give it back. Unless you are on good terms with some of them?”

Raphael didn’t sound accusing and Azrael only rubbed his forehead.

“No. The fae king had his own agenda. He had an arrangement with Lucifer, but he was always extremely distrustful of every angel and I don’t think he’d see me as an ally. Let’s worry about that when we have to.”

He didn’t know the location of any entrances that led from Earth to the fae realm, but Eden... would he find the entrance again, Lucifer and he had used to escape ? Could he betray their former allies? First he needed to know what Tino knew – or thought he knew.


	2. Chapter 2

Tino felt marvellously recuperated when he woke and sat up quickly when he realised how late it was already. He’d overslept!

“Don’t panic”, a voice said. “I called in sick for you.”

Tino’s head whipped around and he looked into the face of one of the... angels. He groaned as he remembered what he’d thought a dream for a moment. Tino realised with a blush that he only wore boxers.

“You saved me”, he said when he realised something else. He remembered his eyes. “When I was a child. They said it was a miracle that I was unhurt, but I always knew that wasn’t true. _You_ protected me.”

The angel nodded seriously.

“I’m surprised that you could see me. But yes. My name is Azrael, I’m your guardian angel.”

Tino stared at him, his mouth hanging open. He had always believed in angels, but to hear from Azrael’s mouth that he had a _guardian angel_ felt strange. He remembered that there’d been someone else in his house.

“You brought someone here”, he said.

“Yes, that was Raphael. I didn’t see the fae that bit you coming.” Azrael frowned. “And I couldn’t heal you, Raphael could.”

“Raphael... like in: The Archangel Raphael?”

Azrael nodded. Tino was surprised how calm he felt, it was like his brain had decided to just roll with whatever came his way.

“I’d better dress”, he said and Azrael nodded again.

“We are in the kitchen.”

Tino put on a t-shirt and jeans and padded down to the kitchen where Azrael and the archangel were waiting – he’d even made coffee. Tino accepted the cup with a nod and looked at Raphael. He’d have expected an archangel to emanate something sublime – drums and trumpets and what have you – but he looked like a normal man. Brown hair that curled around his ears and green eyes, slender but not skinny, with wide shoulders – he’d have bought him a drink, if he’d met him in a bar.

The wings of both angels were more blurred than before his sleep, only white shadows behind them. Tino sat down at the table and motioned for the angels to take a seat.

“I don’t even know where to start”, he said and took a sip of his coffee. “Why did this... thing steal my lucky charm?”

“I’d like to know that, too.” Azrael met his eyes. “You said something about a door after Raphael healed you, you seemed to think it was linked to the amulet.”

Tino closed his hands around the cup and frowned.

“I can’t remember saying that, but... For as long as I can remember I have this dream: I walk along a stone-walled corridor, there’s a door at the end and I know that something important is behind it, but before I can open it, I wake up. Here”, Tino fetched a sketchbook from the living room, “it looks like this. But I don’t know what my lucky charm could have to do with it...”

He fell silent when he saw how Raphael stared at the drawing.

“Raphael, what’s wrong?”, Azrael said who had noticed, too.

“Look at it!”, Raphael answered with strained voice. “Don’t you recognise it? That’s a cell door in the Star.”

They shared a look that Tino couldn’t read.

“Do you think... what if the fae believe the amulet will help them to free him?”

“But why should it?”, Raphael’s voice trembled.

Tino looked back and forth between the angels.

“What is happening here?”, he asked. “Free whom?”

Azrael flinched as if he’d forgotten that he was there. He exchanged another unreadable look with Raphael and took a deep breath.

“Please don’t freak out. It’s Lucifer.”

Tino was speechless.

“The _D_ _evil_?”, he gasped. “You want to tell me that I’ve wanted to open a door leading to Hell, the whole time?”

“Yes. No!” Arzael shook his head. “It’s not like you think it is. _He_ is not what you think he is. Jahwe! Where do I start? He isn’t _evil_. He isn’t the ruler of Hell. Humans don’t go to Hell or Heaven. To be honest, we don’t know what happens to you after death – though you might be reborn. Lucifer _did_ make war on the other archangels, but Jahwe isn’t... how shall I say... present? We haven’t heard from him for millennia now.”

Tino listened spellbound as Azrael told him quickly about the war against the fae, of Lucifer’s attempt to make peace with them and what had finally led him to wage a second war on the other archangels. He didn’t know if he should laugh about the idea of Lucifer being gay and having practically fought for his freedom, too, or if he’d gone mad and was just imagining all this.

“So... what you are saying is: The Devil is not the Devil and had a good reason to fight?”

Azrael shrugged with a wry smile. “Yes, I’d say that. I was one of his, you see?”

Tino lifted his eyebrows. “And that’s supposed to make me believe you more easily?”

“Azrael is not wrong”, Raphael said. “I won’t say I agree with Lucifer starting a war, but... his anger at us was justified to some extent. At the least he isn’t what the humans made of him in the past centuries.”

Tino drank down his coffee and wished it were something stronger... no, he would not start drinking in the middle of the afternoon.

“But why do you think my lucky charm has anything to do with this door?”, he asked

“ _You_ seemed to think that”, Azrael said. “And it belonged to Lucifer once. _He_ was the guardian angel of your family, long ago, before he was taken captive and I assumed the bond. I’d have said the amulet doesn’t have a special function, but it isn’t of this world, maybe... it somehow works on humans. What do you think, Raphael, can that be?”

“I don’t know enough about humans to answer that. The real question is: Do the fae think, that the amulet will unlock the door? And is it the truth? I should inform the others.”

Raphael made to get up.

“You can’t mean that!”, Azrael barked at him. “What, if it really could mean Lucifer’s freedom? Do you want to make that impossible?”

Tino had the distinct feeling that they hadn’t told him everything. Raphael bit his lower lip so hard Tino thought he’d draw blood any moment.

“There’ll be another war, if he is freed”, he whispered. “Especially, if the fae have a hold on him. There’s a reason why he’s locked away.”

“Yes, but not a good one”, Azrael huffed.

“He’s _sleeping_ , Azrael!”, Raphael cried. “No one can wake him. And even if we could... Do you think I wouldn’t have already done that, if I thought there were a way around another war?”

Tino just wanted to ask what this was about, when David opened the kitchen door and made a startled sound when he saw the two strangers. His eyes widened. Tino wondered, if he could see their wings. David was sure he could see elves – was that the same as the fae, Azrael had talked about? – he had never really believed him, but suddenly that wasn’t so unbelievable anymore.

David stared frightened at the two winged men. Both were glowing faintly golden, something he hadn’t yet seen with any elf. How had they come in here despite the bundles of rowan berries he always hung over the doors?

“Tino, can I talk to you for a moment?”, he said as calmly as possible.

He was sure that the wings weren’t visible for normal humans. They had to do something to get rid of them, but that would only work if Tino was in on it. Tino followed him to the living room and David grabbed a pen and wrote on an old envelope that lay around: _They are elves!_

He wasn’t sure how good their hearing was and didn’t want to take a risk. Tino shook his head.

“Angels”, he said.

David who had been prepared to have to convince him of the truth blinked surprised.

“Are you sure?”, he asked.

He knew Tino believed in angels, maybe it played into the elves’ plans to impersonate angels. Tino shrugged.

“You can see their wings, too, can’t you?” David nodded and Tino kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry that I never really believed you. You were right.”

David listened tensely to what Tino had to tell him about his day and what he’d learned from the angels.

“Oh, God!”, he said and embraced his partner tightly. “I’m an idiot. I never thought of the windows and now you’ve been poisoned!”

Tino caressed his back. “Not your fault. I shouldn’t have grabbed the thing’s tail. Every animal bites if you corner it.”

“But it wasn’t an _animal_ ”, David answered. “Are you sure it wanted you?”

His grandmother had impressed upon him that he mustn’t show the elves that he could see them. If one of them had noticed... he wasn’t sure if they’d let him live.

“At least it stole from me. You think it wanted to hurt you?” Tino shivered. “The angels think it could be linked to my door dream. Let’s go to them?”

David nodded. He still was wary, but the angels had saved Tino. When they came back to the kitchen, only one angel remained and looked very unhappy.

“What happened?”, Tino asked.

“Raphael thinks he needs to talk to the other archangels about it. And I should go now, too. Don’t worry, Tino, I’ll watch over you.”

“And that’s it, you think?” David saw that Tino was short of bursting. “You arrive here, give me a glimpse into all this and then you just vanish again? You can’t do that, Arzael!”

Azrael smiled wryly.

“There are rules, Tino. You should have never seen me. I don’t like it either, but I’m not well-liked by the other archangels and I can’t risk them forbidding me to protect you.”

Tino gripped his arm when he wanted to leave the room.

“You already told me too much! I want to know what you are going to do.”

David watched Tino nervously, he had this stubborn look on his face, that didn’t mean any good. Did he really want to free the _devil_? The angel looked at him with raised eyebrows and David shivered.

He laid his hand on Tino’s arm and whispered: “My grandmother always said: ‘Don’t meddle with the affairs of elves.’ I can’t imagine that’s a lot different with angels.”

Tino let go of Azrael hesitantly.

“You know about the fae?”, the angel asked curiously and David hunched his shoulders because he hadn’t wanted to draw his attention on himself.

“I have what my grandmother called the true sight. I grew up on an isolated farm in the Bavarian Forest. As a baby I was stolen by elves. My grandmother recognised the changeling and my grandfather went with a freshly butchered calf head to the stream. She told him exactly what to do: Stand with his back to the railing of the bridge and throw the head over his shoulder into the water while saying my name. Walking home without turning around even once. When he came home, I was back in my cradle. My parents never believed it. They said I was just sick and I can’t remember my time with the elves, but since then I can see them. The amulet...” David turned to Tino. “I never told you, because I thought you wouldn’t believe me, but it glows for me.”

David made a step back when Azrael moved but the angel lifted his arms placatingly.

“I’m not a fae, I won’t hurt you, but... if you can see them, can you see the passages? Places where they go down to their tunnels?”

David bit his lower lip. Tino might view this as an adventure, but he felt like he was already much too deep into something he didn’t want to be in.

“David, please”, Tino said softly. “If you know that...”

David nodded slowly. “It is a little out of the way, but yes, I can show you one of the passages.”

Azrael smiled pleased.


	3. Chapter 3

‘What, if it really could mean Lucifer’s freedom? Do you want to make that impossible?’

Azrael’s words still sounded in Raphael’s ears as he alighted on the landing before his office in the Star. He didn’t use the room much, his real work was at the hospital, but he needed to be alone and at the hospital there was always someone who needed something from him.

Raphael sank down on his chair and buried his face in his hands. What should he do? He didn’t even dare hope that the human or the amulet could wake Lucifer. Was that really what the fae thought? Maybe it had just been a fae who collected glittering things, maybe it was all coincidence... Raphael laughed at himself. Who was he fooling?

Tino had been suffering the after-effects of the poison and the healing when he’d said he needed the amulet for the door, but maybe that was the reason that he’d said it with such surety. He seemed to have forgotten about it later. Raphael breathed deeply, he couldn’t make a decision when he was this agitated. He’d told Azrael that he was afraid of another war and that hadn’t been a lie, but what he really feared was choosing Lucifer.

If he stayed silent and got the amulet back himself... if all this worked and Lucifer really was set free, he wouldn’t be able to go back, he would be on Lucifer’s side. Raphael stood up. He had to see him.

He flew down to the base of the Star and entered the entrance hall. The angels who met him bowed to him and Raphael smiled mechanically, his thoughts too far away for real friendliness. No one stopped him from opening the door to the cells and he walked down the long stairway. It was dark, the only prisoner here was Lucifer and he needed neither light nor guard. Raphael’s own inner light was enough to make him see his way.

He remembered Tino’s drawing of the cell door and marvelled at how true to the original it was, down to the studs and the metal slide on eye level that let him look into the cell. His hand trembled when he pushed the slide aside. It was dark behind it, of course, but he made a tendril of his light seep into the room.

Lucifer lay on his pallet, hands on his chest. His eyes were closed and his breathing almost imperceptible. He was very pale, his hair even more flaming than Raphael remembered. Raphael sobbed and pressed his hand to his mouth when the sound echoed in the hallway. If only he could talk to him...

“Raphael?”

He whirled around and saw Uriel standing behind him. He hadn’t heard him come.

“Here.” Uriel gave him a folder of loose pages. “I don’t know what you are planning, but I think this will help you make the right decision.”

Raphael took a trembling breath.

“What do you see, Uriel?”

His brother shook his head.

“Not much and more I can’t tell you. The future isn’t cast in stone, I see possibilities, not certainties. You have to find your way on your own.”

Raphael nodded and accepted the pages.

“What is it?”

Uriel smiled wryly.

“Open it, when you’re alone. I think it might throw you off the course for a moment.” Raphael tensed in surprise when he embraced him. “I’m always there for you, Raphael, don’t forget that. Always.”

“Thank... thank you”, Raphael stuttered.

Uriel left him without another word and Raphael looked at Lucifer for another moment before closing the slide. He hadn’t come closer to making a decision, but his longing for Lucifer was stronger than it had been in a long time. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here. He looked down on the pages, but the folder that held them was unmarked. Raphael decided to follow Uriel’s advice and flew back up to his office.

‘I don’t know what you are planning’, Uriel had said, but Raphael couldn’t push the thought away that he knew more than he let on.

He took a deep breath before opening the cord that held the folder together and froze at the words that stared up at him.

_I am Lucifer_.

His eyes flew over the page. Lucifer’s hand telling his story. His point of view in grey on yellowed pages. Raphael trembled, he thought he heard Lucifer’s voice as he read. He could see that Lucifer hadn’t had much time, his writing was quick, sometimes hard to read and his choice of words sometimes clumsy, but they were full of passion for what he believed.

Raphael bit hard on his lip. Lucifer had made a mistake, but he wasn’t evil. He knew that a petition for pardon would fall on deaf ears with Gabriel and if this human could really wake Lucifer... If he didn’t fear a war, there wouldn’t be any hesitation for him. Raphael leaned back and raked his hand through his hair.

Maybe he wouldn’t talk to his brothers after all. Maybe he’d get the amulet back on his own. That would give him more time to think what to do with it. Raphael traced Lucifer’s writing lovingly before closing the folder again.

Azrael had intended to leave immediately to get a headstart on the archangels, but David had insisted on the right preparation. Herbs and semiprecious stones and pieces of wood that were meant to protect them. Azrael doubted it would help anything, but he didn’t intend to start an argument that would delay them even further, so he sat on the couch waiting impatiently for David to finish his hocus-pocus.

He heard the doorbell and quickly hid his wings. He was a little sloppy because the two humans knew him anyway.

“I didn’t tell them”, Raphael said when he came in with Tino and Azrael rose silently. He didn’t know what to say. “We’ll take the amulet back alone.”

“I’m so glad that you decided that way”, he finally said.

“I haven’t decided yet what to do with it, when we have it back”, Raphael answered but Azrael didn’t believe him. If he’d had intended to put a stop to this, he’d have told the other archangels. Raphael turned to Tino.

“Tino, keep this save for me, please”, he said and gave him a folder.

Azrael lifted his eyebrows. What was that?

“Do you know a way to the fae realm, Azrael? It must be somewhere underground, but we never found a way in.”

“I might have found a way from Eden, but as chance would have it, David can show us a gate.”

Raphael sighed when Azrael told him of David’s gift.

“That’s good. You will stay here, Azrael, and look out for him and Tino.”

“What? That’s out of the question!” Azrael stared at him. Had he lost his mind? “You are a healer, Raphael, not a soldier and even less a spy. I won’t let you go alone into enemy territory!”

“That may be, but you still have to stay. You have a charge and... if this really leads to Lucifer’s freedom... it shouldn’t look like you had a part in it", Raphael answered firmly.

Azrael hesitated. His first reaction was to say that in this case he didn’t care what the archangels thought because he’d be at Lucifer’s side then, but that seemed tactless to him. He knew that the situation was hard for Raphael. He had never been able to let go of the memory of Lucifer and at the same time he didn’t want to work against his brothers. That must be why he wanted to go get the amulet, he wanted to have the decision in his own hands. Azrael didn’t like to let him go alone. Not at all. He had a bad feeling.

“And what if something happens to you? You don’t know how it is there, Raphael! What if you are found out?”

“I won't.” Raphael laid his hand on his shoulder. “Trust me, Azrael.”

“Unfair. You know I trust you. I just don’t want to let you go alone.”

“Do I really have to order you to stay?”, Raphael asked gently and Azrael sighed.

“No. If you really want that, I’ll stay, but please rethink it.”

Raphael turned to David, who smelled pungently of herbs: “I’d be grateful to you, if you’d show me the way. I know it is dangerous for you, too, but I promise you can go as soon as you’ve shown me.”

David nodded hesitantly.

“I wouldn’t have said anything, if I weren’t ready to help you.” He looked at Tino. “I know how important that amulet is for you.”

Azrael smiled when Tino pulled David close and kissed him. He was glad that they lived in a time and place where they didn’t need to hide.

“I don’t want you to put yourself in danger for it.” He looked hard at Raphael. “Am I the only one who sees the weakness in this plan? Even if you find this place, even if you get in and out again unseen, what gives you the certainty that you’ll find my lucky charm? You don’t know where the thing is that stole it!”

“If it is true what we think, then we’ll – _you_ will”, Azrael gave Raphael an unhappy look, “have to search for the king. I’ll be honest. I wouldn’t find the throne room. I was there a few times and we had a guide, it is like a warren.”

“I’ll just look around”, Raphael answered. “I won’t take unnecessary risks.”

“If you’d let me go...”, Azrael tried again.

Raphael shook his head and Azrael gave in. He wouldn’t disobey him.

Raphael got out of the car with relief as soon as David stopped it, he’d rather have flown.

“We have to walk from here”, the human said.

They stood on a cart road in a forest. David had told him on the way here that the land belonged to his parents. Raphael followed him through the conifers that made the wood feel dark. He shivered and wished he’d had Azrael at his side, but that wasn’t possible.

“After you’ve led me to the portal, I want you to leave immediately, David”, he said. “I lied a little to Azrael.”

He knew Tino was right. They didn’t know enough about the fae realm to have a chance to steal the amulet back. He’d knock on the door and ask for an audience. Even if he wouldn’t get the amulet back that way, he might at least find out about their intents.

“Be careful”, David said softly. “Elves are dangerous. They are malicious and crooked.”

Raphael didn’t answer, he was too nervous. Was he only getting himself into trouble? The fae were enemies, although they weren't at war for the moment. But Lucifer had allied himself with them. Lucifer had told him the truth. He hoped the Fae King would listen to him when he heard that he knew the truth about the first war.

“Here.”

David stopped suddenly and pointed at a tree. Raphael saw immediately that it was special. For one thing, it was an oak between spruces, tall and old, the trunk gnarled and twisted. A hole seemed to lead into the earth between its roots.

“Down there?”, he asked and David nodded. “Leave now. I’ll do the rest alone.”

“I don’t think so”, a voice said and David squeaked.

Raphael stared at the fae who had grabbed the human. It was more than two metres high, with a skin like mossy stone, his large canines showing.

“You might be under the water sprite’s protection”, the fae growled at David, “but even he will agree that we can’t allow you to bring angels here.”

Raphael found his voice again.

“I’m here to negotiate with your King”, he said.

The fae scrutinized him.

“You are not one of Lucifer’s people”, he stated. “They know better than to come here uninvited. But you know one of the entry ways now, so you have to be presented to the King anyway.”

Lucifer’s people... wouldn’t have Azrael told him if they were still in contact with the fae? But Azrael hadn’t told him either that he was in contact with those of Lucifer’s people who hid on earth – and Raphael was sure that he was. He suppressed a tremble as he climbed down the tunnel in front of the fae.


	4. Chapter 4

David was trembling so hard he could barely keep up with the troll who pushed him forward. They had separated him from Raphael and he was afraid of what they’d do to him. The troll threw open a door and pushed David in. David stumbled over the uneven ground and fell to his knees.

“Water sprite!”, the troll roared.

They were in grotto with a hot spring, steam was billowing under the ceiling and water drops hung glittering on the stalactites. Moss and fern grew on the ground and bioluminescent lichen lighted the cave with their greenish glow. David whimpered frightened when the water moved and a head rose from it. He had green hair and golden eyes, the gills at his neck folded shut as he came out of the water. His hands and feet were webbed and he was naked.

“What do you want, guardian?” His eyes came to rest on David who cowered on the floor. “Didn’t I make clear that this human is to be left alone?”

The troll growled.

“This human has lead an angel to our door today. An _angel_! He is under your protection, so you have to make sure he his properly chastised. It’s the law! The king will hear of it, so don’t think you can squirm out of it.”

The water elf straightened.

“I’ll take care of it”, he said coldly.

The troll closed the door as violently as he had entered and David shrank back with a whimper when the elf moved closer.

“Don’t be afraid”, he said gently. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Why?”, David squeaked, his voice high with fear. “What do you want?”

Elves never did anything without a price and the troll had said... How long had he been under the protection of this elf without knowing it?

“Did _you_ steal me?”, David dared to ask. B

ut why then should he be well-disposed towards him, his grand-parents had defeated him.

“Yes”, the elf said simply. “Maybe you’ll understand one day. Come, let’s go to a place that’s more comfortable for you.”

The elf led him through a second door into a living room and wrapped himself in a robe that hung on a hook.

“Please, sit.”

David obeyed stiffly, the sofa felt much too comfortable under him. He mustn’t get comfortable, he had to keep his wits about him.

“May I offer you something to drink?”

David shook his head decisively. _Everyone_ knew that you mustn’t take food or drink form elves, if you didn’t want to be caught in their realm forever. The elf smiled as if he knew what he was thinking, but didn’t try to persuade him. He probably knew that it was only a matter of time until David had to drink, if he wanted or not.

Nerid had to stop himself from embracing the human. He was here! Finally he was here! But he hadn’t come because he remembered, he knew that. He had lead an angel to their realm. But maybe he hadn’t even known they were enemies.

“Why did you bring the angel here?”, he asked with soft voice.

He could see that the human was afraid. Cautiously he reached out with his power to calm him, but he was protected by charms, he couldn’t help him.

“He... he wants to bargain with your k-king”, the human stuttered.

‘Oh, I wish you’d grown up here’, Nerid thought. ‘You wouldn’t be so afraid of me then.’

But charm was charm and the boy’s grandfather had stuck to the rules.

“I won’t hurt you”, he said again and he boy looked at him with wide eyes.

“But, the troll...”

Nerid smiled wryly. “I can’t just let you leave again, that’s true. If the king asks after you, I’ll tell him I took you into my service as punishment. You will not come to harm.”

“But... my... my partner, my parents. They’ll worry! I can’t just vanish!” The boy looked close to tears.

“You should have thought about that before bringing the angel here!”, Nerid said sharply because the jealousy of the human the boy’s heart belonged to won over for a moment. “Don’t you know that the angels are our enemies?”

The boy didn’t answer and Nerid suddenly had a feeling that there was more behind this. But he didn’t ask again. He didn’t think he’d get anything more out of him without using violence. Nerid sighed. What should he do with him now? Oh, he knew what he’d have _liked_ to do with him and the temptation to enchant him so he would agree to it was there, but it would be wrong – it was a relief that the boy was protected right now – and he knew he didn’t really want it that way. He wanted Fara with all his memories, not an enchanted human who didn’t know what had been between them once.

Raphael bowed to the fae king who sat on his throne and eyed him with a smile in the corner of his lips that didn’t look calming in the least.

“Archangel”, he drawled. “To what do I owe the honour?”

‘He knows who I am!’, Raphael thought.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised, the fae king had seen him when he’d been Lucifer’s prisoner, but it was still unsettling.

“I’m here to report a theft”, Raphael said slowly, weighing his words. “An amulet was stolen from a human who his the charge of one of my servants. It has great personal value to the human and I’d like to bring it back to him. What he saw leads me to the conclusion that one of your subjects stole it. Maybe we can come to an agreement?”

The fae king had his gaze firmly fixed on him, Raphael felt like being watched by a predator.

“Do you take me for an idiot, archangel?”, he said calmly.

“I don’t understand...”

A bead of sweat ran down Raphael’s spine. It dawned on him that it had been a bad idea to come here.

“Do you want to tell me, you don’t know that the amulet was a gift by Lucifer? Did your servant – who once was Lucifer’s confidant, as you surely know – withhold that from you? How can it be used to free Lucifer?”

“It’s not about that. I don’t think it can.”

“Oh, but I think it does.” The fae king rose from his throne and slowly walked down the steps. “I believe, your servant sent you to me as a gift. I don’t understand why he didn’t already use the amulet a long time ago, when it was in his reach all the time, but he’ll have had his reasons.” The fae king shrugged. He snapped his fingers and two guards came over and gripped Raphael’s arms. “Lock him in a cell.”

“My brothers are going to search for me”, Raphael said with trembling voice.

The fae king shrugged. “If they knew how to find us, they’d have attacked us long ago. No, archangel, you are alone.”

‘Not completely’, Raphael thought – he didn’t believe for a moment that Azrael had betrayed him. He would do something, if Raphael didn’t show up again.

_The heavy iron mountings glinted in the light of the torches. He stopped, his hand stretched out but not yet on the latch. He was sure that it would be locked as always. Tino groaned when pain shot through his hand and up his arm and shrank back when the door opened with a soft creak._

_It was dark in the room behind the door, so he took a torch from the mounting on the wall and stepped in. An angel lay on a pallet at the wall opposite the door. He was very pale and didn’t move. If it weren’t for the red hair and black wings, he’d have taken him for a marble statue._

_He felt like he needed to do something. Something important._

_Haltingly he moved closer to the sleeping angel. When he touched him, he was afraid he’d feel as cold and hard as he looked, but his skin was warm. Something like an electric shock went through him, the bite pulsed._

_“Lucifer”, he whispered._

_The angel opened his eyes and they seemed to look right into Tino’s soul..._

Azrael shot up from his seat when Tino screamed. He had talked him into going to bed when Raphael and David hadn’t shown up again. David’s mobile didn’t have reception and Tino was beside himself with worry. That had been two hours ago.

Azrael ran up he stairs, taking two steps at a time and barged through the door to the sleeping room. Tino sat in his bed, eyes wide, and in front of him stood...

“Lucifer!”

The archangel turned around, a smile coming to his lips.

“Azrael! What’s going on here? Who is this? Where are we?”

“This is Tino, a descendant of your charge. We are in his house on Earth. He... freed you?”

Azrael gave Tino a questioning look and Tino shrugged helplessly, still wax-pale.

“I... I had the dream again”, he stuttered. “Only the door was open this time. And I went in and touched L-Lucifer. And then he was here. I thought the amulet...”

Azrael couldn’t stop the wide grin that came to his face.

“Maybe the fae should have investigated the matter more thoroughly.”

“Is David back?”

Tino's face became worried again. Azrael bit his lip and shook his head.

“I’m sure all will be fine”, he tried to calm him, although he was getting worried, too.

“What’s going on here?”, Lucifer repeated and looked seriously at Azrael. “Fae? Amulet? I don’t understand a word.”

“You let _Raphael_ go there alone?”, Lucifer shouted at Azrael when he’d explained the matter to him.

“He wanted it that way”, Azrael defended himself, shoulders hunched. “I tried to talk him out of it, but he said, if the amulet can free you – it wasn’t necessary, obviously, but we didn’t know that – then I shouldn’t be mixed up in it.”

“I can confirm that”, Tino came to his defence, Lucifer seemed to look like Azrael could need help.

Lucifer groaned. “And they are overdue. Should we do something?”

“We didn’t set a time, maybe it just takes longer."

Arzael tried to stifle his own troubles and Lucifer didn’t look convinced.

“We’ll wait until morning, then I’ll try to contact Neynych... how long did I sleep?”

“A thousand years”, Azrael said and licked his lips. “And that’s not an exaggeration. I don’t know, if you’ll find Neynych where he was, but we can ask Zaphriel. I think he’s still in contact with him.”

“He got away back then?” Lucifer looked relieved and Azrael nodded.

“He and many others. They moved away from their old place after the war, it was too dangerous to stay there, but I can reach them.” Azrael took out his mobile and grinned when he saw Tino staring at him. “Yes, we use mobile phones.”

Zaphriel sounded sleepy when he accepted the call and he wasn’t surprised, it was very late.

“Lucifer is free”, Azrael said without a greeting.

“What?” Zaphriel said loudly and Azrael grinned.

“I’ll pass you on to him.”

Lucifer looked warily at the small black box and lifted it to his ear like Azrael had done.

“Zaphriel?”, he asked.

He didn’t know exactly how this was supposed to work, but he could hear Zaphriel’s voice saying: “Lucifer.” Then a sob. Was Zaphriel crying? “You are truly free?”

“Yes.” Although he still didn’t really understand how that could be. How had Tino woken him? “But we have a problem. Are you in contact with Neynych?”

“Yes”, Zaphriel answered immediately. “I can bring you to him. Where are you? How quickly do you need to talk to him?”

“Where are we?”, Lucifer asked Azrael. “Regensburg. Tell him, in the house of my charge.”

Lucifer repeated the words although they didn’t mean anything to him. “As quickly as possible.”

“I’ll be there in three hours.”

It clicked and Lucifer heard only a tooting sound.

“Three hours”, Lucifer said and gave Azrael the mobile back. “Then as long as it takes us to reach Neynych and find out what ever there is to find out.”

“I should have thought of Neynych immediately, then we wouldn’t be in this situation now.” Azrael hung his head. 

“I’m not sure if he’d helped with it. He likes to be on his own but he is loyal to his king and what you intended was moving against him.” Lucifer looked at Tino. “Do you know where your friend took Raphael?”

“Roughly, but not the exact spot”, the human answered. He had gotten out of bed and dressed while Lucifer talked to Zaphriel.

“Good. Maybe we’ll need that later, it depends on what I hear from my friend.”

He rubbed his forehead. He didn't feel like he had slept a thousand years, for him the war had happened yesterday. He wasn't sure what the fae king would do with Raphael if he caught him, but he would do everything to get him out.


	5. Chapter 5

Raphael opened his eyes with a moan, his throat was burning. His hands were shackled to the wall above his head, a cold drizzle ran down his back. The voices before his cell that had woken him fell silent, a key was turned in the lock. Raphael blinked in the torchlight, his eyes only got used slowly to the brightness. The fae king looked down on him, a winged creature on his shoulder whose red eyes looked malevolently at him.

“So you are the archangel, Lucifer found so fascinating”, he said. “You don’t look like much to me. Let’s hope your brothers see that differently and are going to fulfil my demands to get you back.”

Raphael shuddered.

“Lucifer won’t like it, if you keep me captive”, he said.

The fae shrugged. “He is a prisoner of the archangel as far as I know. I don’t need his goodwill. The few people who are still loyal to him don’t matter.”

Raphael felt sick. That didn’t sound as if he intended to free Lucifer. The fae king grinned as if he knew what he was thinking.

“Oh, did you think, I had the amulet stolen in order to free him?” He shook his head. “It has a certain power, and I’d like to know how it works, but that’s not what it is about. I thought, it would make Arzael seek me out, but you are much better leverage, archangel, and a much more satisfying prisoner. I’m going to enjoy my revenge. My friend here”, the fae king pointed at the creature on his shoulder, “is dying to taste angelblood. He’s also poisonous, his bite won’t kill you, but it is very painful, I’ve heard. It’s going to be my pleasure to watch you suffer.”

The fae king ripped open Raphael’s shirt and gave a nod to his companion. Raphael gasped when the little fae jumped down on him and clung to his shoulders with sharp talons. He screamed when he bit his shoulder – it burned like fire. After a few gulps the fae let go of the spot and moved lower to bury his teeth in Raphael’s pectoral muscle. Raphael already felt the bite on his shoulder swell, he felt hot, pain pulsed from the spot.

The fae king had a cruel smile on his face. He whimpered softly and closed his eyes, trying to use his gift to push the poison out of his body, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up. Only now did he realise how lucky he had been that Lucifer had protected him. He didn’t want to imagine, what was to come. He hoped, Azrael would come to his help.

David woke with a start. There was no moment of confusion, he knew exactly, where he was. The elf hadn’t forced him to sleep in one bed with him, at least, he’d almost expected that considering the looks, the elf had given him. For the moment his precautions protected him from a spell, but he knew they’d be useless by tomorrow. You had to renew these things regularly and he wouldn’t be allowed to do so here. What was he supposed to do now? And what had happened to Raphael? Could he ask the elf about it? He had no way to guess the time, deep under the earth as he was, but he felt awake and pulled the dark cloth off the milky, glowing stone next to the bed and bathed the room in gentle light. A knock sounded at the door and David jumped.

“Are you awake?”, the elf asked through the door.

“Yes”, David whispered with breaking voice and then again louder: “Yes.”

“Please come out, we have to talk.”

David dressed quickly and grimaced as he surveyed his protection. It wouldn’t hold for much longer. He opened the door warily. The elf motioned at the couch and David sat slowly. He relaxed a little when the elf kept his distance.

“I talked to the king. He accepts that you will serve me in exchange for your transgression.”

David gulped. He knew he had no choice but to play along.

“How... how long?”, he gasped.

“A year and a day. Give me your hand.”

David shrank back nervously and the elf sighed.

“I’m just going to give you my protection so you can’t be enchanted by anyone else. You must realise that your herbs won’t work much longer.”

David nodded gloomily and offered him his hand. He’d expected to feel something but nothing happened.

“You wear my sign, ever fae is going to know that they are picking a quarrel with me, if they do something to you.”

“Why?”, David asked. The fae hadn’t answered him yesterday. “The troll said, I’m under your protection, but my grandparents stole me back. I don’t understand...”

The elf smiled but he looked sad.

“I can’t tell you, you have to remember yourself, else it means nothing. But you don’t have to fear anything from me. And now I’d appreciate it, if you’d eat something.” He pointed at the table where plates with bread and fruit and jugs of juice and milk stood. “I vow to you, eating or drinking any of this will not mean that you’ll have to stay here for the rest of your life, nor that you’ll yearn for it.”

David looked warily at the elf. But elves couldn’t lie, could they? Did he even have another choice but to trust him. Hesitantly he reached for a slice of bread and spread butter on it. It tasted good, very good, maybe the best bread he’d ever eaten, but it didn’t feel supernatural. Only now did David realise how hungry and thirsty he was. The elf let him eat in silence.

“What happened to... to the angel?”, David finally asked.

He had to know if he was still here. The elf looked sternly at him.

“He tried to deceive the king. Did you know that when you brought him here?”

David quickly shook his head, although that wasn’t exactly true.

“Anyway, he was locked up for further interrogation.”

David gulped. That didn’t sound good.

“Can I see him?”

The elf shook his head.

“He’s now the matter of the king and you can be glad that he doesn’t think you were involved. You don’t want him to change his opinion about that, believe me. It’s better for you, if you keep out of it.”

Lucifer stood at the window and looked out onto the street, where Zaphriel would show up. They had forgotten to tell Zaphriel that Tino knew about them, he wouldn’t just knock.

“How did you free me?”, Lucifer asked Tino, who had refused to go to bed again.

He looked tired, but Lucifer could read the worry for his friend in his tense shoulders. A worry Lucifer shared. The human was probably in much less danger than Raphael. The fae might have ensorcelled him, forced him into their services, but Raphael was an enemy and the fae weren’t soft with enemies.

“I understand that the fae think my seal I gave centuries ago to a human girl, would be needed to free me – although I don’t understand why it should.”

How had the human managed to get to Patris without wings? And how had _he_ gotten here? It had felt like a guardian angel call, but that should be impossible. He had given the link to Arzael.

“I’ve had a dream of a hallway and a closed door for my whole life. I always thought it was important to get behind that door but it was locked. I don’t know why it wasn’t this time.” He flexed the fingers of his right hand. “The bite hurt”, he added absentmindedly.

“And David said the amulet glows for him, didn’t he?”, Azrael added.

Tino only nodded. Azrael and Lucifer shared a glance.

“I can only guess that the amulet gave Tino the ability to form a connection with you. But why it was Tino of all the humans who’ve worn the amulet...” Arzael shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “Jahwe didn’t talk to you, did he? I think it looks like more than a coincidence.”

Lucifer huffed. “No, not a word. But you are right, it doesn’t feel like a coincidence. I’m just not sure that’s a good thing.”

“But why could I open the door after I’d lost the amulet?”, Tino asked frowning.

“The fae poison?”, Lucifer guessed. “Angels and fae often use skills that humans would call magic, maybe something of it was in the poison. But that’s pure speculation.”

Lucifer stood up when he saw someone standing on the other side of the street, watching the house. He wore human clothes, his wings hidden.

“Zaphriel is here. With your permission, Tino, I’ll ask him in.”

Tino nodded. “It’s fine, I guess.”

Zaphriel’s eyes widened when he saw him step outside with his wings visible and in the clothes he’d worn when he was locked up. It was obvious that he wasn’t from here.

“Lucifer!”

Zaphriel embraced him so tightly Lucifer couldn’t breathe for a moment. He patted his back with a indulgent smile.

“I’m happy to see you, too, Zaphriel. Come in. The human who lives here, knows about us due to a series of events that also led to my release. I’ll explain later, now is only important, that Raphael is in all likelihood a prisoner of the fae, together with Tino’s lover. I have to find out more about it. Azrael said, you might still be in contact with Neynych.”

“I am.” Zaphriel nodded, not taking his eyes off him as he followed him to the living room. He only turned away for a moment to greet Azrael, before looking at him again. “After we lost the war, the fae king was not interested in collaborating any longer, but we still talk to a few of your old friends sometimes. Lucifer, why is Raphael and a human our business?”

Lucifer took a deep breath. Of course, Zaphriel knew nothing about it. Maybe he’d noticed back then that he’d been interested in Raphael, but he surely hadn’t thought that it was more than it usually was.

“Raphael is... I love him.” His heart beat faster at admitting it, but he couldn’t deny it. “If he really is a prisoner, I intend to free him and the human. How many men do you have?”

Zaphriel stared at him. “Soldiers? Not more than a hundred. Lucifer! Attacking the fae is suicide!”

“Maybe an attack won’t be necessary, but I _have_ to talk to Neynych.”

“I’ll take you there. But it’s a nine-hour-flight. Are you sure you can handle it?”

“I feel good.” He’d been ravenous, but Tino had provided him with a meal and although he’d not moved in a millennium, his body had hardly changed – as if time had stopped for him. “Azrael, I have to talk to you privately.”

Tino made protesting sound as if he wanted to stop them from leaving him alone with the stranger, but Lucifer couldn’t change that right now. He was surprised, anyway, how calmly the human took all this.

“What is it, Lucifer?” Azrael looked attentively at Lucifer.

“As I understand it, the other Archangels aren’t informed of Raphael’s plans?”

“At first he wanted to tell them, but then... I think he didn’t really know what to do with the possibility of freeing you so close. He wanted to delay the decision.”

He had reproached Raphael for wanting to tell the Archangels, but he understood him in a way. It had been so hard for him, all these years, and harder still to make a decision that would force him to choose between Lucifer and the other Archangels. He hoped Lucifer would understand that, too.

“He’s in love with you, Lucifer”, he said hesitantly. “But no one was allowed to know and now...”

Lucifer laid his hand on his shoulder.

“There’ll be time for it later, once we have him back safely. Now you have to go and tell them. Raphael will be gone a full day until we reach Neynych and that will be noticed. It can only help us, if the Archangels keep the fae occupied.”

“It’s possible that they won’t let me go again”, Azrael said slowly. “I owe my freedom to Raphael. What am I supposed to tell them? And what about Tino? I don’t want to leave him unprotected, if there’s the danger that the fae will get the idea they need him.”

“Tell them the truth, but leave out that I’m free and awake. I don’t know how often the control the cell, but I want to keep it secret for as long as possible. I’ll ask Zaphriel to send one of his people here and have an eye on Tino. Is that alright for you?”

Azrael wasn’t delighted, but he nodded. “I’d rather stay here myself, but yes, that would reassure me.”

“Thank you." Lucifer squeezed his shoulder. "If they want to keep you there, do as they say. Let them think you are on their side. And be careful, my friend.”

Azrael’s heart skipped a beat when Lucifer smiled at him. He really was back! He almost couldn’t believe it.

“I will, as well as I can. Don’t worry about me. I lived so many years among them, I can do so again.”

He didn’t tell him, that he had doubts. Gabriel had been always distrustful of him and Michael hated him. Lucifer had enough problems, he wanted him to be sure that he could depend on him.


	6. Chapter 6

Nerid had left David for the moment. He couldn’t bear the fear in his eyes, when the soul he bore had to know that they belonged together. He’d known for a long time that there was a way to give David the memories of his old life back, but the price had daunted him. He’d always hoped he’d find another way. It had been easier to wait while David hadn’t been near him, but now... The thought to live with him for a year while David was in terror of him, was dreadful.

He wasn’t sure, if she was here, she spent more time in the sea than under the earth. His hand trembled when he knocked at the door. The fae who opened him had green skin, more radiant than his, and hair like algae.

“Water sprite”, she said. “What brings you here?”

Her eyes with rainbow-coloured irises looked at him with interest. Surely she’d already heard that David was here. News travelled fast in the fae realm.

“Do you still have it?”, he asked an she smiled widely, showing her needle-sharp teeth.

“But of course. You know the price.”

“And I’m prepared to pay it.”

Nerid gulped. He didn’t want to, but he had no other choice. She stepped aside.

“Come in, water sprite.”

It smelled sharply of salt that scraped in Nerid’s throath – he needed freshwater, she was from the sea.

“Wait here.”

She stepped into the water that filled part of the room without a visible outlet – just like his own room. Nerid knew that it was part of every sea on earth. It didn’t take long for her to come back, a shell in one hand, an apple in the other.

“Paiment first”, she said and offered him the shell.

Nerid shivered. There would be no going back once he’d done it, he’d never sing again. Was a human worth that? But he’d waited for so long to find Fara’s soul again, he couldn’t give up now. Nerid took the shell and breathed into the opening. He didn’t feel anything but the shell became warm in his hand. The fae held the shell to her ear and nodded pleased.

“And your reward.”

She gave him the apple that would wake Fara’s memories – at least he hoped so. Nerid bowed silently, there was nothing more to say. They both had what they’d wanted.

David paced up and down the room restlessly. The elf had left him with an order to stay in his rooms. He was worried for Raphael and more for Tino. He wasn’t sure that a single angel would be enough, if the elves decided that they needed Tino, too. Had he already noticed that something was wrong because David hadn’t come back?

He stopped his pacing when the door was opened and was relieved to see it was ‘his’ elf. David laughed at himself. He wasn’t safe with him just because the elf _seemed_ to be well disposed towards him.

“For you.”

David warily took the golden apple he offered him. Had he left to fetch him an _apple_? There had to be something special about it. He couldn’t eat it!

“What... what will it do to me?”, he asked.

The elf’s eyes became gentle. “Nothing bad. What do you believe in?”

David was puzzled by that question.

“I don’t understand..."

“What do you believe, happens to humans after their death. Can you imagine that you are reborn?”

David shrugged, he didn’t understand what that had to do with the apple.

“That’s not more unbelievable than anything else.”

“The apple will allow you to access the memories of a former life. Please, it eat, you’ll understand then.”

David turned the apple between his hands. The elf wanted him to remember something. _What_ did he want him to remember? Was this something real, a former life? He looked into the golden eyes of the elf and thought he saw there such a soul-deep longing that it hurt his heart. David led the apple to his mouth and took a bite.

“Fara”, the elf whispered.

_Fara set his feet warily on the ice. He saw the fresh hoof prints of the deer he followed on the thin snow covering. He swore softly and moved on warily. The lake lay between steep faces of the mountains, only on the narrow north- and south-banks was it possible to reach the water with any ease. He had to go across the ice, if he didn’t want to lose his prey._

_Something was strange about this lake, it was deep and dark and even in the coldest winters some places didn’t freeze closed. He’d have evaded it under normal circumstances, but he needed the meat, they’d had a bad harvest and without the additional food they might not survive. He was still strong enough to hunt, but if he had no success..._

_The ice groaned under his weight. Fara felt sweat run down his back despite the cold. His feet slid over the slippery ground. The wind had blown the snow away from the ice in some places, he was afraid to lose the deer’s tracks. Fara had no time to cry out, when the ice gave way under him._

_He sunk into the freezing water,flayling his arms, trying desperately to get his head above the water. Usually he was a good swimmer, but the cold numbed his limbs and his heavy pelts pulled him down. It was dark under the ice._

_Fara’s lungs screamed for air, it wouldn’t take much longer until his body breathed in without his consent. Fara still fought, but his head only hit ice, he’d been carried off. Fara beat his fist feebly against the ice._

_He woke wrapped in warm furs. Had it been all a dream? Fara sat up slowly. His aching body told him that he’d done something exhausting, but he couldn’t have been in the water. He’d been alone, no one could have saved him. Was this what came after death? It didn’t look like what the priests spoke of and neither like the afterworlds from the old stories._

_A door opened and Fara jumped out of the bed, backing into a corner on trembling legs. The creature in front of him had green-blue skin and eyes like copper. One of the Hidden People!_

_“You are awake”, the elf said with a smile. “I dragged you from the water, saved you from drowning.”_

_Fara gulped. He was in the elf’s debt._

_“How can I repay my debt”, he croaked._

_The elf cocked his head and came closer._

_“Tell me your name. That’s the price.”_

_Fara sucked in his breath. Every child knew that you mustn’t tell the Hidden People your name or they’d get power over you._

_“Please”, he whispered._

_“Your name”, the elf repeated and Fara felt the debt tighten around him._

_“Fara”, he answered almost against his will._

_The elf smiled._

_“Fara”, he murmured._

_His name sounded like music on his lips and Fara relaxed. He couldn’t remember why he’d been so afraid only moments before. The elf looked gently at him. Somehow Fara had expected him to be cold, but when his hand caressed his cheek, his finger felt warm. “_

_Fara”, said the elf again and Fara couldn’t get enough of his voice. “You are mine now. What was before is unimportant.”_

_“I’m yours”, Fara repeated and the elf smiled._

_His hand slid down Fara’s naked chest, Fara shuddered as his long fingers closed around his cock and stroked him to hardness._

_“Come to bed”, the elf purred against his lips and Fara obeyed eagerly._

_~*~*~_

_Fara followed the elf fearlessly into the water. It was cool, a blessing after the summer heat, soon it went up to his neck. The elf took his hand and pulled him close. Fara took a deep breath before they dove and left the cave they lived in through a tunnel. Fara could see the sun and wanted to surface, he experienced a moment of panic when the elf held him under water._

_‘_ _Relax’, the elf’s voice whispered in his head when he kissed him and breathed into his mouth._

_Fara stopped struggling when the air, the elf gave him filled his lungs._

_‘_ _That’s right’, the elf said and slid his hands up Fara’s thighs._

_Fara let himself be enfolded by the wonderful feelings the elf could wake in him. They floated weightlessly through the water. Bubbles rose when Fara cried out his pleasure._

_~*~*~_

_Fara blinked bewildered. He stood in the middle of the forest and had no idea how he’d come here. He had a vague memory that he’d walked out onto the frozen lake. Shouldn’t it be winter? Fara scratched his head and turned his steps back to the village. Maybe he was turning mad. He’d had a great-aunt who hadn’t be completely right in the head. There were strange memories just out of reach. A not unpleasant shiver ran down his spine when copper eyes stole themselves into his thoughts. What had happened to him?_

_The boy stared at him as if he was seeing a ghost._

_“What’s wrong, Wynn?”_

_He thought he’d been smaller when he’d seen him last._

_“Ghost”, the boy gasped and ran away, crying for help._

_F_ _ara stopped, unsure what to do. The screaming would soon alert the whole village._

_‘Ghost’, Wynn had said..._

_The ice..._

_Fara didn’t have time to follow the thought because the villagers were already coming together, staring distrustfully at him. He knew them all and searched in vain for friendly faces. Arnd the speaker, a large, muscular man, stepped forward._

_“Go, ghost of Fara”, he said. “There remains nothing to do here for you. Your family is well.”_

_“But...”_

_Fara wanted to explain that he was alive, that he wanted to go home, but Arnd lifted his spear and Fara realised they wouldn’t believe him._

_“Bring his sister”, someone whispered. “He’s surely looking for her.”_

_“No”, Arnd growled. “Leave my wife out of this.”_

_Fara was relieved. He knew Arnd as a hard-working, decent man, his family would be provided for. He’d go into the forest, he knew he could survive there – or maybe he would leave this place, find a village where no one knew him and start over._

_Fara turned around and walked back into the wood. They thought him dead, it hurt to leave them, but he knew they’d kill him, if he tried to come close, he’d have acted the same way in their stead._

_Fara was sure now that he’d broken through the ice. He remembered the icy water, the burning in his lungs. Remained the question, why he was still alive. There had been someone – the resident of the lake... He had to find a quiet place and think about it._

_~*~*~_

_Fara had lived in the forest for the last few weeks and tried to catch his fleeting memories. He knew now that an elf had saved him from drowning – and that he’d thoroughly taken his pleasure. Fara wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He should have been repulsed, full of hatred, but whenever he thought of the copper eyes of the elf, he felt much too good._

_Now he knelt at the shore of the lake, his hand in the water. He didn’t know what he feared more, that the elf would come or that nothing would happen and he’d have to face the truth of having turned mad after all. Waves started to rise in the middle of the lake when a head broke through the surface. The elf swam closer and looked at him with the eyes from his dreams._

_“So it is true”, Fara whispered._

_What was he doing here? Elves were dangerous and wicked, this one had had his fun with him and let him go afterwards. He could count himself lucky that he’d left him alive! And maybe he would have been, content with his live, if he hadn’t lost everything. The only thing he had left were the strange things he felt for the elf._

_“What are you doing here?”, the elf asked sharply without coming out of the deep water._

_“I don’t know”, Fara answered softly, he couldn’t take his eyes off him._

_He stood up and waded into the water. It was a sunny, warm day, but the water was cold. The elf swam backwards._

_“Wait! Please!”_

_He couldn’t have born it, had he vanished again and the elf hesitated long enough for Fara to be able to come close to him. Fara touched his cheek, felt how real he was and kissed him. The elf tensed._

_“I want you”, Fara croaked. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”_

_The elf shook his head violently._

_“That can’t be true. I lifted the spell!”_

_Fara caressed the elf’s cheek and felt him tremble._

_“Can’t I want you for your own sake?”, he asked._

_He hadn’t dared to think it, fearing the memories were false, but now that the elf stood before him... Fara had always felt more attracted by his brothers-in-arms than by women. The elf’s eyes looked deeply into his, then he took his hand and led him deeper into the water. Fara wasn’t afraid. He didn’t think the elf would try to drown him – he hoped he was taking him home._

_They lay in bed together, the elf’s hand slowly caressed Fara’s sweaty chest, his fingers tangling in his hair._

_“You really came back to me of your own free will?”, he asked softly and sounded so fragile that Fara had the urge to envelope him in his love._

_He didn’t know why, if it was maybe just an after-effect of the spell he’d been under, but he wanted to be with him._

_“Yes”, he answered. “If you allow me to stay.”_

_The elf laughed. “I thought, I’d become tired of you, but that’s not true. I’m tired of ensorcelled humans, that’s all. How could I push you away, when you came to me freely. I never experienced that with a human.”_

_He smiled happily and Fara’s heart beat quicker._

_“Fara”, the elf whispered and Fara shivered pleasantly._

_He knew that the elf had power over him, knowing his name, but he’d let him go, he wouldn’t put a spell on him again. A pensive look came to the elf’s eyes, then he said: “Nerid. That’s my name. Remember it well. You know my name now as I know yours, it’s only fair.”_

_Fara was speechless. Elves never just told their names, you had to trick them into doing it._

_“I put my life in your hands”, the elf – Nerid – said seriously._

_Fara kissed him gently._

_“I won’t abuse the trust you put in me”, he promised._

_~*~*~_

_Fara floated on the water, Nerid’s arms around him, his head lying on the elf’s chest. They enjoyed the sun together._

_“Soon it will be autumn.” Nerid looked at a golden leaf that was dancing on the breeze above them. “The water will become too cold for you.”_

_Fara heard the sadness in Nerid’s voice._

_“There’ll be always a summer after the winter”, he said with a smile. “We have time.”_

_“I’m afraid we have completely different ideas about time, love.”_

_Fara didn’t like it when Nerid had one of his moods, he’d have to turn his thoughts to lighter things. He rolled around and shifted his weight to push Nerid under. Nerid’s laugh sprang around his head._

_‘Do you really think you could win against me in my element?’_

_Fara shrugged and winked at him before diving away, he knew of course that Nerid would catch him soon – he didn’t have to surface to breathe after all – but it did what he’d wanted it to do. He dove in direction of the shore, if he managed to get on land, he’d have a bit more of a chance._

_Fara froze when he crawled onto the shore and lifted his head. Nerid tackled him from behind and Fara could hear the men – his old neighbours – gasp._

_“Let him go, elf”, Arnd said and pointed his spear at Nerid._

_Fara felt the arms leave his body and Nerid move back._

_“So you are still alive”, Arnd stated._

_Fara nodded. “You didn’t let me explain. But maybe it was better this way. Leave him alone, he is my friend.”_

_He stood up and moved between his armed neighbours and Nerid._

_“Friend?” Arnd laughed. “None of them is friends with an elf. Let him go, elf, or you’ll regret it.”_

_“He is free”, Fara heard Nerid say. “He is here because he wants to be.”_

_Fara saw the arrow fly and jumped backwards to push Nerid away. Pain shot through his body and he heard Nerid howl._

_“What did you do?”, the elf screamed._

_Fara’s eyes were glazing over, he felt churning waves and the coldness of the water around him. He must have lost conscience for a moment, when he woke again, he was in their bed. Nerid leaned over him, pressing a cloth to the bleeding wound in his chest. Every breath hurt, he couldn’t get enough air! Nerid gently wiped the wetness from Fara’s lips._

_“Everything will be okay”, he whispered. “You’ll be okay.”_

_Fara smiled weakly._ _“Don’t lie to me, Nerid.” A cough wreaked his body._

_“Shh, don’t speak.” Nerid caressed his wet hair._

_“Nerid”, Fara breathed, speaking was hard. “We’ll see each other again. I won’t leave, I’ll come back to you in my next life.”_

_“I’ll wait for you, my love.” Nerid’s voice was heavy with tears. “For as long as I have to and if it takes thousand times thousand years.”_

_Fara closed his eyes, his hand in Nerid’s. He was not afraid of death. He’d come back to him._

Fara – no, David, he was David now – looked at the elf.

“Nerid”, he said and saw tears come to the elf’s eyes.

“You remember it”, he croaked and David nodded.

He remembered, everything, he just didn’t know what to think of it. He loved Tino! But he knew that Fara – the man he’d been – had loved Nerid.

“You told him... _me_ your name”, he whispered. He knew what an incredible act of trust that had been.

Nerid nodded seriously. “I loved you and it broke my heart that I wasn’t able to save you. I never stopped loving you.”

“I don’t know what I...” David looked away. 

Nerid laid his hand on his shoulder and David tensed.

“I understand that this is a lot and that you need time. I won’t push you.”

David nodded and felt the feelings, Fara had had, rise in him. He could trust him.

“Thank you”, he whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucifer alighted on the clearing in a forest that almost left in doubt if this world was really populated by humans. They’d flown over huge cities on their way here, cities full of light, streets that looked like glowing rivers in the dark. But this place was wild and lonely. Zaphriel had told him that he didn’t know where Neynych was living, but that this was their meeting spot.

They could only wait now.

But it didn’t take long.

“Lucifer!” Neynych threw his arms around his neck and Lucifer embraced him laughing.

“Hello Neynych. I’m happy to see you, too.”

“Zaphriel said you were captured.”

“I’m free again. And I need your help, my friend.”

“What do you need?” Neynych moved back a little.

“I don’t expect of you to betray the secrets of your king, but Raphael was taken captive. I want him back. Would you relay a message to your king?”

“I’m surprised that you try to help an archangel”, Neynych said. “But of course I’ll be your messenger.”

Lucifer blushed embarrassed.

“Raphael is different”, he said. “Tell your king, that I want him to deliver Raphael and the human who was with him to me. I’ll owe him a favour in return.” He didn’t have more to offer right now, although he knew it was dangerous to owe the fae king an unspecified favour.

“Wait here.” Neynych vanished in the shadow between the trees.

“What?”, Lucifer said to Zaphriel’s measuring look.

“You always said you don’t believe in love. And now you are ready to move everything. For Raphael?” He shook his head. “Why is he different?”

“I don’t know. He... he was ready to listen, to think about what I say. He _saw_ that I’m right, Zaphriel, and was brave enough to accept it. He isn’t my enemy. We wouldn’t have had to fight, if it had been up to him. Even if all this weren’t the case: He went to the realm of the fae to stop the fae king from freeing me and thus having me deeply in his debt. I can’t just leave him to his fate.”

Zaphriel growled. “Still. I hope he’s worth whatever the fae king will want in return. And what are you going to do, if he doesn’t accept?”

Lucifer pressed his lips together.

“I won’t leave him behind”, he said. If he had to, he’d free Raphael by force of arms.

Azrael’s heart beat a wild rhythm in his chest. He walked up and down the waiting room before the hall where the archangels would receive him. He could imagine a thousand places where he’d rather be right now. They weren’t particularly well-disposed toward him and he didn’t like Gabriel and Michael that much – Uriel he found simply creepy.

Azrael shuddered when he thought of Uriel’s eyes, they were ice-blue and seemed to look deeply into one’s soul. He wasn’t sure if it was even possible to lie to him. On the other hand, he’d never found out that he was still in contact with Zaphriel. That thought calmed Azrael a little and he sat down again.

He hoped, Lucifer would be able to free Raphael. Not only that he liked Raphael, Lucifer obviously loved him. Azrael had never been as sure about that as Raphael – though he’d never told him that – but he’d seen it. It had surprised him that Lucifer had dropped everything to rescue Raphael and even forgot his revenge.

Azrael’s thoughts were interrupted when the door to the other room opened.

“You may come in now”, a servant in white livery told him.

Azrael took a deep breath. Now he had to act convincingly.

Azrael bowed to the archangels who sat on a long table opposite him.

“What do you have to report, Azrael?” Gabriel’s voice was full of contempt.

“Raphael is a prisoner of the fae.” Azrael didn’t waste time with pleasantries, he wanted to get it over with and then quickly back to... Tino.

Azrael almost sighed with relief when Uriel said: “You are worried for your charge?” Almost...

“Yes”, he answered before he could think something that would betray him. “The fae... wanted him.”

“What does that mean?” Michael’s voice was harsh.

Careful now, he didn’t want to get into touch with his flaming sword.

“There was an attack on my charge. Raphael followed the attackers.”

“Oh?”

The hair on Azrael’s neck rose, he almost could feel the displeasure of the archangels.

“He tells the truth, but he doesn’t say everything", Uriel said and Azrael tried to think hard about something else. “We should keep him here.”

“If you say so.” Michael sounded very pleased.

“You can go now, Azrael", Uriel continued. He didn't sound unkindly, but Azrael couldn't really appreciate it. "Don’t leave Raphael’s house.”

“What about Raphael?”, Azrael dared to ask.

“We’ll take care of that. Go now!", Michael barked at him.

Azrael obeyed before he could anger them. He was bathed in sweat when he left the Star and they hadn’t even really questioned him. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up, if Uriel questioned him again. He was playing with fire. If it came out that Lucifer was free... Azrael didn’t want to think too closely about it.

The sun stood deep in the sky when Neynych finally came back. Lucifer stopped his nervous walking around the glade when he saw him step out of the trees. Neynych’s face was serious and Lucifer knew immediately that he didn’t have good news.

“My king let’s you know that he is happy to know you free, but that he is not interested in a cooperation. The archangel is valuable leverage against the others. I’m sorry, Lucifer.”

Lucifer gritted his teeth.

“It’s not your fault”, he growled. “Thank you for trying. If I were you, I’d stay on earth for a few days.”

Neynych stared at him. “Do you want to attack him? That’s madness, Lucifer!”

“If he doesn’t give me back Raphael, I’ll have to fetch him”, Lucifer growled back. He gripped Zaphriel’s arm when the angel drew his sword. “What do you think, you are doing?”

“If you really intend to free Raphael, we can’t leave him here. He’ll warn his king!”

“I won’t”, Neynych answered quickly. “Lucifer, please.” He looked at him with big eyes. “I swear, I won’t warn him. But you shouldn’t do it. It is too dangerous.”

“Neynych, I would never harm you.” He’d lost him once, that wouldn’t happen again, although he knew Zaphriel was right. It was foolish to let him go free. “I trust you.”

Zaphriel growled angrily, but he took his hand from his weapon. Neynych relaxed relieved.

“Thank you. Please, think about it, before you do something rash.”

Lucifer nodded, but he’d already decided.

“I’m flying back to Tino”, Lucifer said to Zaphriel. “Fetch our people and take them there.”

“As you wish”, Zaphriel said. “I’ll call them, that’s quicker. I really hope, he’s worth it.”


	8. Chapter 8

Azrael’s head was aching from his efforts not to think about Lucifer. The archangels were wary. Uriel was visiting at least once a day to talk to him. He knew that he was hiding something from him and he probably guessed that it had something to do with Lucifer. It was only a question of how long it would take him to find the truth.

Azrael groaned when Uriel opened the door. Raphael would have stopped him from pressing him like that, but Raphael was not here. He hoped... Azrael forbade himself to think about it. Uriel sat down opposite him and looked inquiringly at him. Azrael forced himself to think of nothing, his head was pulsing. Uriel sighed.

“Just tell me the truth”, he said. “We both know that it must have something to do with Lucifer. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Azrael couldn’t stop to think about how he’d seen Lucifer the last time. His skin pale from long imp...

“He’s free?”, Uriel cried out.

Azrael closed his eyes in defeat and nodded.

“Tino freed him”, he said tiredly.

“Where is he?”

“He’s trying to free Raphael”, he answered before Uriel could burry deeper into his thoughts.

“Why should he do that?”

Azrael pressed his lips together, he mustn’t betray Raphael. Uriel let it go, the information he’d got seemed to be enough.

“Fuck!”, Azrel swore when the archangel was gone.

Why wasn’t he stronger? He was tempted to flee. Now that they knew that Lucifer had escaped, there was no reason for him to stay. But the risk that he'd be followed was too high. He couldn’t risk betraying Lucifer’s whereabouts. He was sure he’d been able to keep that from Uriel. He only hoped, Lucifer managed to free Raphael before the archangels found him.

“What did you find out?”, Tino asked when Lucifer stepped into the house again. He was beside himself with worry for David and overtired because he couldn’t sleep.

“We’ll have to free Raphael and your friend by force. You say, you have an idea, where the entrance is?”

Tino nodded and lead Lucifer to the kitchen table where he’d spread out a map of the vicinity of David’s parent’s house. He tried not to think about what 'by force' meant.

“I marked the places that David gave a wide berth.” It had given him the feeling of doing _something_. “I’m sure it’s somewhere around there.”

Lucifer looked at the map. “That’s helping us, Tino, thank you. Can I take it with me?”

“Of course.” Tino wrung his hands. “You’ll find him, won’t you? I know you’re worrying more for Raphael, but...”

Lucifer looked seriously at him. “I’ll do everything in my power to free your friend, I promise. You woke me and freed me, although I’m still not sure, how. I’m in your debt.”

“Let me go with you.”

Tino forced himself to meet his eyes. He wished, Azrael were here. He didn’t know him any better than Lucifer, but somehow he did. Azrael had been at his side his whole life, he trusted him. Lucifer shook his head decisively.

“I can’t. We’ll have to fight and you can’t fight. I’m sorry, Tino. I know you want to do something, but I won’t take you into danger.”

Tino wanted to argue, but he assumed, Lucifer wouldn’t change his mind. He nodded with a sigh. “Fine.”

Lucifer folded the map. “I’ll meet my people before the city. Two of them will come here and bring you to our fortress. You’ll be safe from the fae there. We’ll take Raphael and David there as soon as we freed them.”

Tino opened his mouth to protest.

“The fae won’t be happy about our raid”, Lucifer talked over him. “We have to go to a place that’s defendable. You and David are in danger, if you stay here.”

“I don’t like it”, Tino muttered. He didn’t like Lucifer deciding everything. Lucifer shrugged.

“I can’t change that. Believe me, it’s for the best.”

~*~*~

Lucifer wished Azrael were here. He could faintly feel the link between Tino and David and was sure it was linked to being a guardian-angel, Azrael had a stronger link, Azrael might have been able to find David, while he rescued Raphael. Everything in him screamed to get Raphael and run, but he was in Tino’s dept and it would be reprehensible to leave the human in the claws of the fae.

He’d drawn a plan of the fae realm as he remembered it. He knew where the cells were and all the men who came with him today had walked through the fae realm when they’d fled after the war. They would find Raphael, but only he could find David. They quickly found the entrance and Lucifer led his men inside. He stopped at a junction. The tunnel to the left lead deeper, to the cells, straight ahead he could feel the link between Tino and David. Lucifer took a deep breath.

“Zaphriel take half of the men and go left, always down to the cells. Don’t stop searching until you’ve found Raphael. The rest follows me to free Tino’s friend. We won’t wait for each other. As soon as the task is done, we’ll fly to the fortress.”

Zaphriel looked like he wanted to object, but he didn’t – not in a situation like this.

“As you wish, Lucifer”, he growled.

Raphael lay shivering in a corner of his prison. His joints ached, fever wracked his body – effects of the fae poison and the other torture he’d been subjected to. He was weak, the cell smelled of his vomit. He hadn’t been able to keep down the food they brought him. He closed his eyes when the door opened and the light of a torch fell into the room.

‘Please, not again’, he thought and whimpered. He waited tensely for the pain to start again.

“Raphael?”

Someone touched his shoulder and he opened his eyes. It was an angel and he thought he knew the face.

“My name is Zaphriel”, the angel said. “Lucifer sends me to rescue you. Can you walk?”

Zaphriel opened his shackles with a key and Raphael tried to push himself to his feet. He stumbled and Zaphriel caught him.

“May I carry you”, he asked and Raphael nodded.

“Thank you”, he croaked. Then he realised what the angel had said. “Lucifer sent you? He is free?”

Zaphriel nodded. “You’ll soon see him.”

Raphael leaned his head tiredly on Zaphriel’s shoulder. Lucifer was free and he had sent his men to rescue him... He smiled happily.

The door flew open, David squeaked startled when Nerid hauled him off the couch and pushed him into a corner of the room, moving in front of him to shield him. Armed angels poured into the room, a red-haired, black-winged man in the lead, a sword in each hand.

“Are you David?”, he asked, the tip of one sword pointing at Nerid, who’d lifted his fists as if he wanted to fight with him like that.

David stared speechlessly at the angel.

“I’m Lucifer. Tino asked me to rescue you.”

Lucifer! David gasped. So Tino had had the power... And he’d broken into the fae realm for him? No... surely they were here to free Raphael – but he was _here_. Lucifer’s eyes set on Nerid.

“Take the spell off him, fae.”

“He isn’t enchanted”, Nerid answered and David had the horrible feeling of history repeating itself. He saw Lucifer’s sword rise...

“No!”, he screamed. “No, please! Don’t hurt him. I’m not enchanted. Please, I want to go home, but don’t hurt him!”

Lucifer’s startlingly blue eyes moved to him, but David had a feeling that his attention was still on Nerid.

“Then come.”

David stepped away from Nerid and turned around to him.

“I can’t stay”, he whispered.

“I won’t let you go alone”, Nerid said in the same moment. “I’m not your enemy, archangel, although you arrive here as if I were. David is the reincarnation of a human I loved and I won’t leave him, although he loves another.”

Lucifer’s eyes became gentle and he lowered his weapons. The angels took them in their midst and walked quickly up the tunnel. David saw blood on the weapons, they’d fought.

“You make an enemy of the king for a human?”, Nerid asked surprised. “I’m sorry, David”, he added. “I don’t want to insult you, but...”

Lucifer shook his head. “I’m here for Raphael, but David got into this mess, because he helped Raphael and I’m in Tino’s debt. My honour demands that I help him.”

They walked on, Lucifer hesitated on a junction and looked down the tunnel, but then they walked on.

“We’ll fly from here", Lucifer said when they stepped into the wood again. He nodded to an angel who took something from a bag that looked like a hammock once unfolded. “This usually is used to transport injured but as you have no wings... Lie down, David.”

David felt queasy, but he obeyed. Lucifer didn’t say it, but they were pressed for time, the blood on the angels’ weapons meant that they had killed fae and surely they would be followed.

“I can fly”, Nerid said, when David laid down on the hammock. It smelled of the sea and warm sand and where the elf had stood, flapped a big mew its wings.

“One problem less", Lucifer said with a grim smile.

David closed his eyes tightly when four angels took the ropes on the corners of the hammock and lifted him into the air. It swung back and forth and he didn’t want to know how high they already were.

“Don’t be afraid”, said one of the angels. “We won’t let you fall.”

David nodded silently, he felt sick.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucifer’s knees were weak with relief when he saw Zaphriel waiting for him in the courtyard of the fortress. It lay in a small, hidden side valley in the Alps, no one but them ever came here, it wasn’t marked on the maps of the humans.

“We already brought Raphael inside. He has been tortured, he isn’t well", said Zaphriel, knowing what Lucifer most wanted to hear about.

“Take me to him.” Tino came running outside, as they walked up the stairs. “Your David is save”, he told the human before he could open his mouth. Tino smiled at him and rushed on.

Raphael lay in a bed. Someone had bandaged his wounds, but he was very pale, dark shadows lay under his eyes. Lucifer sat down at his side.

“Raphael”, he whispered and took his cold hand between his own.

He looked so sick. Lucifer wanted him to wake up, he wanted him to tell him that everything was alright. He wished Azrael were here to tend to him. He gently rubbed Raphael’s fingers to warm them.

Raphael blinked slowly, his mind was still half asleep, but when he saw Lucifer’s face he woke abruptly.

“Lucifer”, he whispered weakly. “Is this a dream?”

Tears came to his eyes. He thought he remembered that Zaphriel had rescued him from his cell, but that couldn’t be true, could it? Lucifer gave a start when he talked. How long had he been sitting there?

“It’s no dream. I’m free, although I don’t really know myself how it happened. Are you in pain?”, he asked and gently wiped a tear from his cheek.

“Yes, but that’s not why I’m crying.” Raphael smiled although is joints ached from the fae poison. “I’m so happy to see you!”

Lucifer returned his smile and Raphael felt whole for the first time in centuries.

“Are you hungry? I can let something be brought.”

Raphael closed his heavy lids. “A little soup would be nice”, he mumbled. He wouldn’t be able to keep in anything else.

“I’ll fetch you something.”

Lucifer stood up and left the room. Raphael almost asked him to stay. How often had he imagined that Lucifer was with him, and now it was true.

He must have fallen asleep again, because he started up when Lucifer came in again.

“It’s just me”, Lucifer said softly, Raphael saw the gentleness in his eyes. “I have your soup here.”

Lucifer helped him sit up and gave him the bowl. Raphael enjoyed being so close to him.

“Did Tino free you?”, he asked after he’d eaten. “Hold me?”

Lucifer sat on the bed and embraced him and Raphael leaned against him, it felt so good to be close to him.

“Yes. I believe the fae poison gave him the necessary power. It was a strange luck that it happened like that.” Lucifer moved around a little. “Raphael?”

“Hm?” He could feel him tense under him.

“I love you”, Lucifer said softly.

“But, I thought...” Raphael turned around to look at him. Lucifer laughed desperately.

“I know. But still. I love you.”

“I love you too”, Raphael answered and closed his eyes.

Jahwe help him! He didn’t want to think about what all this would lead to, what consequences it would have – that he now had to decide between Lucifer and their brothers. He didn’t want that! There had to be another way.

Tino embraced David tightly.

“I was so afraid for you”, he sobbed. “So afraid that they wouldn’t find you.”

David clung to him silently. He trembled and Tino caressed his back. He couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for David to be at the mercy of the creatures he’d feared for his whole life.

“It’s alright”, he murmured. “Everything is alright. We are save. Lucifer promised to protect us.”

David nodded and turned a little to the man who stood a little to the side. Tino only noticed now that he wasn’t an angel and held David tighter.

“Who is that?”

David made a sound like he had chocked on something and blushed. “Elves don’t tell their names”, he said. “He is the one who stole me when I was an infant. Long story. He... didn’t want to let me go alone.”

Tino glowered at the elf. “You can’t have him”, he said firmly.

“You are the one, David’s heart belongs to”, the elf said calmly.

“You can bet on it”, Tino answered fiercely. “He’s not for you.”

“We’ll see”, the elf answered and followed an angel, who'd called him, into the fortress.

“I hope he didn’t hurt you”, Tino said and kissed David’s cheek. “Let’s go in, I brought clothes for you.”

“No, he didn’t hurt me”, David answered, “but... he gave me back the memories of a former life. We were...” He shook his head. “If you don’t mind, I’ll tell you later about it. I have a headache and I’m a little motion sick.” Tino kissed him again. “Of course. I don’t want to take that kind of flight another time either.” _Another life._ He wondered what that meant.

Nerid followed one of the angels to his new room. He’d have liked to stay with David, he didn’t want to leave his side, but he knew that would be foolish. David’s friend had immediately treated him like a rival, although he didn’t know anything yet and it would be better to not force himself on them.

He was relieved when the angel only gave him distrustful glance before he left him alone, he'd expected more hostility

. Nerid went to the bathroom and drew a bath, he needed that now to think, although it was a poor substitute for a real lake or river. David would tell Tino what he needed to now – at least he hoped so. It would be so easy for David to ignore his memories or dismiss them as fae glamour. And Tino might encourage that.

Nerid chuckled self-deprecatingly at the thought of being afraid of the low opinion of a human. But this human had the support of archangels and he didn’t want to have to leave David. The look in David’s eyes when he’d seen Tino had broken Nerid’s heart. It was too late, David really loved Tino. Was he cold-hearted enough to break David’s heart by separating them so he could have him? Nerid shook his head. He’d made the decision to come here without thinking. He didn’t know what to do now.

The king would think of Lucifer’s attack as a declaration of war, Nerid was sure about that. David wasn’t save here. Should he tell Lucifer that he’d be attacked soon? Would that make him a traitor? Nerid sighed and slid into the cool water.

He had to give David time. He’d already waited for so long, he could wait a little longer. He’d find a solution. And it was doubtful if he’d be even allowed to talk to Lucifer. Nerid wasn’t sure if he was a guest or a prisoner.


	10. Chapter 10

Lucifer was busy reading about the more recent history of the humans, there’d been a lot going on and he was surprised about their inventive spirit – they’d learned to fly! He lifted his head when the door was opened and frowned – he had given order to not be bothered – but started to smile when he saw Raphael. He stood up to meet him halfway.

“You are up! Do you feel better?”, he asked.

“Yes. Thanks to your care.”

Raphael looked a little absentminded. When Lucifer tried to kiss him, he turned his head away. Lucifer felt a stab at his heart but tried not to show it. Raphael just had to get used to him again, he’d be as considerate as he could. They sat down and Lucifer poured them wine. Raphael turned the glass between his hands, he seemed nervous.

“Lucifer...” He took a deep breath.

“Yes?”, Lucifer asked when he didn’t continue.

“What are you going to do now?”

Ah, so that was it. Surely he was afraid that he’d start a war again.

“I don’t really know, to be honest”, Lucifer answered truthfully. “After I woke, I thought about contacting the fae king again, but right now I don’t feel very well disposed towards him.” He noticed how hard he was clinging to his glass and eased his grip to not break it.

“You could come home”, Raphael said softly.

“Home!” Lucifer laughed sourly. “Nothing changed. They wouldn’t accept me as I am. And I won’t bow to them as they’d surely ask of me.” Raphael looked at him with his warm, green eyes and Lucifer realised that he couldn’t keep his thoughts from him. “Maybe it was a mistake to support the fae in the war, maybe it went to far. But regarding this world they are right. The earth belongs to them. They wanted their freedom like I do. My freedom means everything to me and I won’t let it be taken away from me. So no, I can’t go back to Patris. Do you understand?” He hoped so much that Raphael didn’t think bad of him.

“I understand, but...” Raphael emptied his glass. “I have to go back.” Lucifer stared at him, he felt cold. “Our brothers need to know that I’m free. The fae king wanted to pressure them with my capture. And they won’t let Azrael go as long as they don’t have news about me.”

Lucifer nodded curtly, he didn’t like to let him out of his eyes, but... “You are right of course. What... are you going to tell them?”

‘Will you come back to me?’

Raphael sighed. “The truth? I don’t see what else.”

“The truth about your escape – or the truth about us?” Lucifer felt so vulnerable.

“I...” Raphael took a deep breath. “I don’t know, if I can say it to their faces. It’s so... I’m afraid, Lucifer.” Lucifer took his hand and gently squeezed it. “You must think me a coward”, Raphael whispered.

Lucifer shook his head. “I can understand how hard this is for you. I fell out with our brothers a long time ago, but they are your friend. I can promise you that I don’t intend to start a war, if they don’t force me to. Does that comfort you?”

Raphael nodded. “Yes, it does. I’ll come back, Lucifer, I won’t stay, but I don’t know yet, if I can tell them about us.” Lucifer kissed him gently. “I’ll wait for your return, thank you, my love.”

Raphael smiled at him. “My love... I like that.”

Lucifer grinned happily. “I like it, too. Take care.”

Azrael was restless. Since they’d found out about Lucifer, they left him alone, but not knowing what was happening – if Raphael was safe – was torture. And then there was Tino. He could only hope hat Lucifer wouldn’t take him into danger, he could be very reckless. Azrael jumped up when the door was opened. Was Uriel back to find out where Lucifer was hiding? But it wasn’t Uriel. Azrael stared at Raphael when he entered the room.

“What are you doing here?”

Had the archangels been quicker than Lucifer with freeing him? He couldn’t believe that. Raphael looked sick, the fae seemed not to have treated him well.

“Lucifer freed me”, Raphael answered, there was something in his voice Azrael couldn’t interpret.

“I thought so”, he answered. “But what are you doing _here_? I was sure you’d stay with him.”

“I couldn’t.” Raphael sat down heavily. “Our Brothers need to know that I’m free before they do something against the fae.”

“Oh, I didn’t think about that. Are Tino and David okay?”

Raphael nodded. “They are in Lucifer’s fortress.”

Azrael sighed relieved. “How are you? You don’t look too good.”

Raphael closed his eyes. “The flight was almost too much, I’m not completely well again. The fae king was delighted to have an archangel at his mercy.”

Azrael growled. “I hope, Lucifer did take revenge for that.”

“His goal was to free me and David, he was in a hurry.”

Azrael knew that Raphael was right, but he wanted to see someone bleed for Raphael’s pain.

“I’ll make you tea”, he said. “You look like you need it.”

“I have to talk to my brothers." Raphael made to stand up.

“You’ll rest!” Azrael pointed sternly at him. “Write them a message. You won’t leave this house today.”

“As you command, master healer.” Raphael smiled wryly and Azrael blushed. He knew he was taking liberties, but he knew also that Raphael would overexert himself, if he let him.

“Tea”, he said gruffly and left the room.

Raphael smiled at the look on Azrael face. The angel had moved to a corner of the room but he looked like he’d have loved nothing better than to expel the visitors from the house. Surely he hadn’t wanted the archangels to come here immediately after they’d received Raphael’s message. If Raphael was honest with himself, he wouldn’t have minded either, if they’d taken their time. He was tired and still feeling a little unwell.

Michael had thrown Azrael an angry glare when it had become clear that Raphael didn’t intend to send him away. Raphael still wasn’t sure what to tell them, but he wanted Azrael to be there – he knew he’d have his back. He didn’t want to have to argue about his decisions, but he knew it was unavoidable, if he told them about Lucifer. Uriel came over and embraced him.

“I’m so relieved to see you, Raphael. How did you manage to escape?”

Raphael took a sip from his tea cup to stall for time a little longer. Azrael had told him that they knew that Lucifer was free, so he didn’t have to lie about that, at least, but...

“Lucifer rescued me”, he said slowly.

“What?”, Gabriel cried with disbelief in his voice. “Why should he?”

“Because he and I...” Raphael choked on the words. He didn’t know how to say it. “I lied to you”, he whispered. “Back then, when I was his prisoner. It wasn’t against my will.”

He could see the incomprehension and dismay on their faces. Raphael just talked on, now that he’d stared, he just could go on. The time for hiding was over.

“Lucifer convinced me that his position is true. I only came here to tell you I’m free and I intend to stay with him. I’d like it better, of course, if there could be reached an agreement between all of us.”

“What did he do to you?”, Michael growled. “You _can’t_ be serious. You aren’t in your right mind!”

Raphael huffed. “Because I don’t share your opinion? I don’t think that’s the right measure. Gabriel”, he looked at his youngest brother, “do you intend to continue denying what was between you and him?”

Gabriel’s cheeks became red with anger. “What are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything, I’ll say it bluntly. You and he had sex and we all knew it. Do you really want to contradict that?”

Gabriel was speechless, his gaze shot around. Uriel had an interested look on his face, as if he knew something they didn’t – and that wasn’t so far-fetched.

“I don’t want to talk about it”, Gabriel said with trembling voice and fled – Raphael couldn’t call it anything else – from the room.

“Raphael”, Uriel looked at him again, “are you sure about this?”

Raphael nodded seriously. “I’ve thought about it since before you caught him. I won’t leave him.”

Michael shook his head. “You really lost your mind. We should keep you here. For your own good!”

“You have no right to ‘keep’ me anywhere, Michael.” Raphael glowered at him. “It is my decision.”

“It is not Jahwe’s will!”

“That’s what _you_ say! I believe Lucifer. Please, go now.”

Uriel patted his shoulder compassionately before ushering Michael out. Raphael leaned back with a sigh. He was trembling, his heart was racing and his head hurt. It was out and there was no way back now. Azrael came over and gently laid his hands on his shoulder.

“That was very brave of you”, he said proudly and Raphael smiled wryly.

“Thank you”, he murmured. “I think, I have to lie down now.”

He wanted to talk to his healers, to give instructions for his absence – he hoped it wouldn’t be forever – but he felt that he’d already asked too much of his body. Azrael helped him to change into sleeping clothes and folded back the bed cover. Raphael lay down with a sigh.

~*~*~

“What?!” Tino stared at David, not believing what he'd thought he'd heard. He felt a hot wave of jealousy rush through him.

“I didn’t know about it, either!”, David answered hotly. “I... I remember this past so clearly now. I _was_ Fara and I _was_ in love with him – and now...”

Tino had stood up, he couldn’t remain seated, and threaded his fingers through his hair, feeling at a loss.

“Are you going to leave me?”, he asked sharply. What had gotten into him... He gripped David’s shoulders and shook him. “He bewitched you! This elf bewitched you. You always said they can’t be trusted!”

David squirmed out of his grip.

“You are hurting me!”, he hissed and rubbed his upper arm. “I won’t leave you! God, Tino! I love you! I just thought you should know the truth.”

Tino breathed deeply. “I’m sorry”, he gritted out. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Are you sure it is the truth and not only an illusion?”

“It _is_ the truth", David said with a conviction that left no doubt.

“I’ll ask Lucifer to throw him out. He has no business here”, Tino growled. He wanted this elf as far away from David as possible.

“No! Tino, please.” David looked desperately at him. “I... I’m so confused. If he vanishes now and I’ll never see him again...”

“You love him”, Tino said and felt the jealousy dig its claws into his heart again.

“No! Yes... I don’t know.” David has tears in his eyes. “I love you, Tino. But these new memories tell me that I love him, too, and I don’t know what to think!”

Tino gulped, then he pushed his angry feelings aside and embraced David.

“It’s okay”, he murmured and kissed his forehead. It wasn’t David’s fault and he needed him now, his love, his understanding. He wouldn’t make it harder for him than it already was. “We’ll find a solution.”

Although he’d be more calm if the elf were out of the way. He’d abducted David once already, who was to say he wouldn’t try again?


	11. Chapter 11

Cassiel beamed at Azrael when he followed their mother into the living room. He'd sent him a message to come here. This time he wouldn’t vanish without a word.

“I didn’t know you are in Patris!”

“Is it true that Raphael was taken captive by the fae?”, his mother asked and sat down with them.

Azrael nodded. “But he was able to escape”, he added quickly, when he saw her worried face. “He’s weak, but not badly hurt.”

He’d left Raphael asleep, knowing that he was save in his home. Azrael took a deep breath.

“It isn’t common knowledge, yet, and I ask you to keep quiet about it, but Lucifer is free. _He_ rescued Raphael.”

“What?” His mother stared at him. “Were you involved in this?”

“No. Yes. Depends on how you look at it.” Azrael shrugged. “We don’t really know how the human freed him.”

“You are leaving”, Cassiel stated. “You are going back to him.”

Azrael nodded.

“You can’t!", his mother said the same moment Cassiel added: “I’ll come with you.”

“No!”, Arzael said to his brother and turned to his mother. “You don’t understand, mother. _Raphael_ is going to... join him and I’ll go with him.”

Cassiel didn’t argue, but Azrael could see that they hadn’t spoken about this for the last time. Their mother was very pale.

“That’s impossible. Why should Raphael do something like that?”

“I don’t have the right to tell you.”

“But you know the reason?”

Azrael nodded. “And I think it’s good this way. Maybe Raphael can stop them from fighting again. I wanted to say goodbye to you. I don’t know when we’ll see each other again.”

“I don’t like this”, his mother said seriously. “But if Raphael is really leaving, I’m glad that you are going with him. Take good care of him and don’t betray him. And thank you for telling us.”

It had taken a long time for her to forgive him and he was relieved that she didn’t try to make it difficult for him. Azrael kissed her cheek.

“I should have told you the first time. I love you, mum.”

She smiled and patted his cheek. “I love you, too, Azrael, despite your efforts to worry me.”

“I’ll come with you”, Cassiel said again and Azrael shook his head.

“You can’t, Cassiel. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Lucifer started a fight with the fae in rescuing Raphael and no one knows what the other archangels are going to do. You aren’t a soldier, I won’t put you into danger.”

“I’m an adult. It isn’t your duty to protect me. I want to be with you – you and father. I want to meet Lucifer.”

“It _is_ my duty, if you get into trouble because of me”, Azrael answered sternly. “Do you think I could forgive myself if you came to harm? Cassiel, I beg you. When this crisis is over and it’s safe, I’ll gladly interduce you to Lucifer.”

And hopefully he wouldn’t be the one who had to explain to Cassiel that his father and Lucifer were a couple – if that was what they were. Azrael still wasn’t exactly sure what was happening between Raphael and Lucifer. Lucifer had always been very clear about his attitude in regard to love. It was hard to believe that he’d changed his mind so suddenly.

“Promise?”, Cassiel asked, Azrael could see that he didn’t like it, but at least he didn’t seem to fight about it.

“Yes. I promise it.”

Cassiel nodded sullenly. “Good. I won’t forget it.”

Gabriel sat in his office, staring at the wall. Raphael’s words were resounding in his ears. It wasn’t true. It _couldn’t_ be true! But Raphael had sounded so sure about it. Gabriel buried his hands in his hair. What was wrong with him? Why was he the only angel who didn’t remember his past life? _Raphael_ knew more about him than himself... but no, Raphael had to be wrong. Surely Lucifer had told him a lie to seem more credible and Raphael let himself be deceived. It couldn’t be otherwise! But what if... Raphael had looked at him as if they were sharing a memory, something they both should know, something he expected Gabriel to remember. He jumped when someone knocked on his door.

“Yes?”, he called although he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see anyone. Uriel came in and closed the door behind himself.

“Are you okay?”, he asked gently. “You looked so troubled.”

Gabriel shook his head. No, nothing was okay, but he couldn’t tell Uriel. If his brothers found out that he’d lied to them all these years... he felt sick at the thought. Uriel sat down on the visitor’s chair and laid a hand on his arm.

“You don’t need to be ashamed”, he said. “Lucifer is right, after all, that it wasn’t an sin before the war.”

Gabriel shook his head. “Something either is a sin or it isn’t, it’s not about time or place.”

_Uriel_ was talking, too, as if Raphael had said he truth. His brother sighed deeply and patted his arm.

“If there is... anything you want to tell me”, he said slowly, “I’m here for you. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Gabriel lifted his head and stared at him. “What have you seen?”

“Only that you suffer and I don’t want to let you suffer alone.”

Gabriel gave a sob. “I... you’ll be so angry with me.” He felt so young.

“I won’t judge you.” Uriel squeezed his hand. “You will feel better once you told me.”

“I lied to you”, Gabriel whispered, his heart thundering in his chest. He felt himself tremble. “Worse than Raphael. I... I acted all these time as if I remember, but... I know nothing, Uriel, only what others told me. I’m an impostor.” Gabriel didn’t dare to look at his brother.

“You remember _nothing?_ Nothing at all?”, Uriel asked appalled and Gabriel nodded. “I thought... I thought you might close your mind to the memories about Lucifer, because they don’t fit your worldview, but this... Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t want to disappoint you. I thought, I needed to take over my tasks. I thought, the memories would come someday. And then it was too late to say anything.”

Uriel took a deep breath. “Jahwe! Now I see more clearly. Do you want to remember?”

“Of course!” Gabriel gripped Uriel’s hands. “Nothing more!”

Uriel’s eyes were stern. “Even if it means that everything you believe in could change?”

Gabriel hesitated. Did he really want to _know_ what Raphael had meant? He nodded firmly. “But I don’t see how.”

“You should have confided in us much sooner. Do you trust your brothers so little?”

“That’s not it.” Gabriel shook his head. “I was so afraid. I’m sorry, Uriel! I feel so bad about it.”

“You should”, Uriel said sternly and Gabriel flinched. “But what is done, is done. Let’s talk to Raphael. He and his people have experience in helping angels who’s memory is coming back. Maybe they have a solution for cases like yours.”

Raphael felt like falling out of the sky.

“You lied to us? The whole time?”

“Look who’s talking!”, Gabriel snapped but quickly added: “I’m sorry. I just feel so... raw. Yes, I lied. I’m sorry, Raphael”

“Tell that Lucifer”, Raphael muttered. They had fought a war because Gabriel didn’t remember! “One of my healers specialises in helping angels find their memories – you are not alone in this. I’ll take you to him. You won’t like what you are going to remember.”

Gabriel was trembling and Raphael squeezed his arm. He was angry with him, but he was sure that Gabriel would reproach himself enough once he remembered.

“I won’t be delayed in flying back to Lucifer. Once you have your memories back, I think you’ll want to talk to him. You’ll be able to find me.” If Lucifer allowed it, in his fortress. If not, he’d leave regularly. “Uriel, don’t let Michael do anything rash.” That Gabriel didn’t have his memories, meant they’d have an unlooked for chance. Raphael didn’t doubt that it would change him, if he remembered.

“Could... Could we keep this to ourselves?”, Gabriel whispered. “At least for now?”

Uriel and Raphael shared a look and nodded.

“Yes, I think that would be best”, Uriel said and rubbed his forehead. “You are sure that you want to leave?”

“I have to go back to him.” He didn’t want Lucifer to think he’d changed his mind. “Come, Gabriel.” Raphael laid his hand on his back and led him to the door.

“I’ll let myself out”, Uriel said. “And I hope, when we see each other again, it will be for peace negotiations.”

“I hope so, too.”


End file.
